“The modern-day work environment doesn’t do a whole lot to help the situation either, especially for those of us who work in public relations and find ourselves communicating more and more via social media platforms.”

I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit. To Kirk’s point: in this day and age, where we’re literally working with people all around the globe, how do we do that well so that we still feel connected, like a team?

How do we put a little love in our PR?

Here are four approaches that I’ve seen work recently, and I’ve been involved closely with some of them.

Note: this is not about which platforms you should/shouldn’t use for collaboration; there are any number of those out there, and you should use the one(s) that work best for you and your needs.

This is more about the effort you put into those collaborative spaces, so that those you’re communicating with really feel as if they’re part of your team.

1. Bring your audience into the story.

Grease: Live, which aired this past Sunday – and which I not only set an alarm for, but watched (and sang) all the way through – did a brilliant job of this. Among other elements:

they used Facebook Live (video) on their Facebook Page to give fans behind-the-scenes moments they wouldn’t get anywhere else. For example, Julianne Hough (Sandy) executing a quick wardrobe change in a golf cart.

Which Grease fan wouldn’t want their very own Rydell High yearbook photo? Well, you could (and still can) Grease Yourself!

You could add a reminder to your calendar so that you didn’t miss the live event of the year (OK, January). They used CalReply.

Of course, they’re still marketing the show, the videos, the replays, the products, the look… that won’t (shouldn’t) stop any time soon. But leading up to, during, and after the show, I really felt I was a part of something quite special… like I was on #teamGrease.

2. Be an equal among equals.

On Monday, I had the pleasure of participating on an FIR guest panel along with Chip Griffin and Doug Haslam; this has been my second panelist visit to Shel Holtz‘ long-running podcast.

Shel sets up a collaboration space on Rizzoma, in which everyone can add story ideas and comments. Then, when we’re ready to record, he dials everyone in via a Skype group call, which means we can all see each other (unless someone chooses not to turn their camera on, which would just be gauche among friends and colleagues).

This is as close to replicating an in-studio experience as you can get. Collaboration platforms like Slack work great, but they can’t replicate the non-verbal cues and/or inside jokes for which you have to actually be able to see someone’s face.

However, what really impresses me is the lengths Shel goes to, to ensure his panelists feel some ownership. The Rizzoma space isn’t just for show; he makes it a point to source story ideas from each panelist. As a result, the final run-down could be 80% panelists, 20% Shel. Now, that’s really collaborative.

Just as they did the last time, they are self-publishing the book… and just as he’s done for his last three books, Shel is making his book as collaborative as possible without actually having hundreds of guest writers muddy up his unique and lyrical style.

How? Just as he’s done in the past, Shel has set up a private Facebook group for the forthcoming book, Beyond Mobile. He shares and asks for feedback on everything from the cover design to drafts of the chapters… and he gets it.

By bouncing ideas off of his community, many of whom are influencers in their own spaces, Shel is laying a PR foundation for the book before it’s even released. But more than that, he’s building and extending his already extensive community.

Because when you’re invested in the creation of content, you’re going to help the creator(s) of that content get it out there.

4. Give the reins to your influencers and co-create content with them.

Last year, I spent a lot of time designing and creating content for an influencer marketing course – an educational program – that Traackr decided to launch. If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know that I’ve been a fan of theirs for the better part of a decade now. I’ve used their software many times, and highly recommend it, even though they were not a client until last year.

First, not every company is driven to actually create a quality educational course for the field. Many talk about it, but Traackr is one of very, very few that has actually done it.

Second, especially because something like this can have huge repercussions on the brand, it takes a lot of courage to bring in one of your influencers and ask them to co-create this level of content with you… and then not breathe down their necks to make sure it says what YOU want it to say.

It was a joy for me to work on the course. First, because the subject matter is so interesting, and a huge part of Social PR. But more than that, I never felt like a “vendor” or outsider; at every step I felt very much a part of the Traackr team. I’m really proud of what we’ve created, so I hope you’ll go check it out!

In closing

So, yes. We are possibly more disconnected today than we have ever been before. But at the same time, it’s also possible to build connections, camaraderie, and community, if we really make an effort to do so.

How do you put a little love in your PR? Please share below, I’d love to know.

Founder and publisher of Waxing UnLyrical, Shonali Burke helps smart businesses make bank by taking their communications from corporate codswallop to community cool™. She is also the founder of The Social PR Virtuoso®, which provides online, on-demand training that helps you unleash your inner Social PR superhero. Shonali is mad about ABBA, bacon, cooking, dogs, and Elvis, though not necessarily in that order. Wouldn't you like to be in her kitchen?

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Strategic Social PR from A to Z ❯

Today, good public relations entails much more than blindly blanketing the media (and bloggers) with information that’s of dubious value to begin with. And more often than not, it entails a strong element of building and managing online community. In this workshop, you will:

Learn the three key elements of an effective 21st century “social PR” strategy, and how it differs from “old” PR

Know which time-tested research and analytical methods you should still use in the 21st century

Understand why talking at people isn’t effective, and how to effectively use today’s popular social media platforms to talk with them

Experience real-time social engagement through workshop exercises and hands-on participation

Understand how to effectively incorporate measurement, so that it validates and improves your programs and, therefore, your business

Smart PR Measurement for the Digital Age ❯

We have more measurement tools than ever before; so many, that we don't know what to do with most of them. And no matter how good a tool is, you still need smart people using it in a smart way, to derive the most benefit. In this workshop, you will:

Learn the basics of good PR measurement and, conversely, the seven deadly sins of bad measurement

Understand how to differentiate between fact and fiction in the measurement context, and the two acronyms to stay far away from

Social Media for the C-Suite ❯

Gone are the days when “social media” was the domain of your twenty-something employees. Today, social platforms are where your customers and constituents of all ages and stages literally live online. If you’re a business leader, you should take this workshop to:

Learn the three core principles of effective social media engagement

Examine key social media platforms, and understand how they work on both personal and professional levels

Review how businesses of all sizes have effectively used social media to support and reach business goals

Experience the benefits of real-time social engagement through workshop exercises and hands-on participation

Understand the kinds of metrics your social media team should and shouldn’t use when reporting back to you

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Heidi has a track record of success in P&L management, corporate strategy, product marketing and top line growth, and spent 14 years in leadership roles at Cision, during which time she oversaw the company’s integration and multiple product marketing strategies through its seven acquisitions.

Heidi was named one of PRWeek’s “40 Under 40 Rising Stars,” “Influencer of the Year” by The Hub in association with LinkedIn, and one of the most influential people in PR by PRWeek’s “Global Power Book.” She was also co-host of the popular “Influence Pros” podcast on Convince & Convert, which was named one of the top 20 marketing podcasts of 2016 by Hey.com.

Jennifer Zingsheim Phillips

Jennifer Zingsheim Phillips has worked in communications and public affairs for nearly 20 years. Her background includes work in electoral politics, government, lobbying, and public affairs PR work. She also brings nearly eight years of experience in digital and social communications and media analysis to her role at 4L Strategies.

Jen began her career doing campaign work in Missouri during the 1992 election cycle. After two years of political party work, she joined the office of a Missouri state senator and served as his legislative aide for two years. In 1996, she joined the Missouri Chamber of Commerce as Research Director, where she lobbied the Missouri House and Senate on issues such as workforce development, welfare reform, and education policy. She was also responsible for the weekly newsletter highlighting key issues relevant to Missouri Chamber members.

In her spare time, Jen is a voracious reader, and enjoys cooking and baking. She also likes to write fiction, and has had two pieces of short fiction and one piece of flash fiction published in various publications. She has also self-published a children’s book.